Symposium

The Association for Butterflies Symposium 2009 was a great success. Butterfly farmers and enthusiasts from all over the US met in Townsend, Tennessee for three days of butterfly education and fun.

Helen Johnson spoke to us about Monarch Alert, her western Monarch tagging program. Linda Marchman's Monarch gives Helen a butterfly kiss.

Stuart Rietz gave us quite an education about thrips. These tiny creatures damage milkweed plants. With his help, butterfly farmers will be able to bring these nasty creature under control.

A common milkweed professional grower taught us more about common milkweed than we had any idea there was to learn. From its history in WWII to its use as a spill-soaker to pillows and comforters to ... there was so much to learn. He taught us how to pre-treat common milkweed seed, plant it, and care for it. We learned WHY common milkweed plots are spotty - with blank areas. We learned why weed block fabric is NOT a good idea.

One evening we sat in front of a fire and ate BBQ for supper. What a wonderful time we had chatting and visiting with other butterfly farmers we rarely see in person but talk with on the Internet constantly. We met farmers we'd never met before the symposium.

Other topics included marketing, red admirals, traveling exhibits, tagging, presentations, greenhouse production, plant production, and raising host plants for the 9 USDA species.

Association For Butterflies symposium

The Association For Butterflies’ second symposium was a great success! Held in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains this past weekend, we drew participants from nine different states, including California, Texas, Michigan, and Florida and other east coast states.
This congenial group was treated to a variety of educational sessions throughout the weekend. On Friday a beginner’s course was held, which included the basics of raising butterflies. The participants were taught how to pack and ship butterflies, how to wash eggs, and what is necessary for a beginning butterfly farmer. That night a barbeque was held in the Grande Suite, which included delicious food from a local restaurant. We had the chance to get to know each other better and to put faces to names .
On Saturday, an extensive array of sessions included Common Milkweed, Plant Propagation, Marketing and Finance, Monarch Tagging, Greenhouse Management, Presentations For Profit and Thrip Control. Even though the weather was cool and rainy, many productive hours were spent inside learning more about how to increase sales in our businesses. That evening the attendees were on their own, dining at a restaurant of their choice.
Sunday brought us pleasant fall weather. A short morning worship service was offered for anyone who wished to attend. Additional informative sessions were held, including Raising Red Admirals, How to Set up Butterfly Exhibits, and Host Plants for the “Other Eight.” The AFB provided lunch and then it was time to say goodbye to our friends. We hope to see them again next year, along with others who missed this year’s symposium.

Butterfly Farmer - Breeder Annual Symposium

Association for Butterflies’ Fall 2009 Symposium!

The 2009 Association for Butterflies symposium will be held in a location nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains of Townsend, Tennessee on October 16-18, close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. These are some of the most beautiful and popular autumn getaway destinations in the continental United States. This symposium is geared toward beginning and advanced butterfly farmers and enthusiasts. Breathtaking mountain vistas, brilliant fall colors, and informative programs highlight this year’s symposium.

The Valley View Lodge, in Townsend, offers a variety of amenities such as indoor Jacuzzis and waterfalls, trout fishing, tubing and canoeing on the Little River, and horseback riding. Meeting rooms and affordable guest rooms are available to accommodate our symposium.

This location is perfect for a fall vacation after your summer butterfly season!

Have you been considering becoming a butterfly farmer? Then you won’t want to miss Friday’s Beginners Course. Learn from the professionals. Get hands on experience. Then stay for Saturday and Sunday to learn even more.

Saturday and Sunday is geared for established farmers.

National Butterfly Awareness Day ~ June 6

The Association For Butterflies' first National Butterfly Awareness Day was held on June 6, 2009.

Promoted through the AFB website and individually by butterfly farmers, we consider it a success.

The primary purposes were to educate people about butterfly releases, to encourage people to plant butterfly gardens to help alleviate disappearing butterfly habitats, and to urge children to raise butterflies.

One such event took place in Charlottesville, VA. Linda Marchman of Social Butterflies contacted the local newspaper and promoted NBAD in an article. A small crowd gathered at a local park as she discussed butterfly host and nectar plants, pointed out sassafras trees as a host plant for Spicebush caterpillars and discovered some false nettle growing wild with a Red Admiral caterpillar hiding in a leaf fold. She then released a dozen butterflies, including Monarchs, Painted ladies, and Black Swallowtails. The attendees all said they would look forward to next year's NBAD.

The AFB hopes that other people will get involved next year so that it will be celebrated throughout the country for years to come.

Dogbane vs Mlkweed

Can you tell which plant is milkweed and which plant is dogbane? Many people confuse the two. The result is starved caterpillars. Dogbane will not be eaten by Monarch larvae/caterpillars.

The plant on the left is dogbane and the plant on the right is common milkweed. White sap is present in both plants.

Milkweed stems are hollow and dogbane stems are solid. Dogbane has reddish stems and common milkweed has green stems.



The flowers resemble milkweed in this species of dogbane but it is not the exact same flowers. Some species of dogbane grows flowers that closely resemble milkweed flowers.

If you're not sure if what you have is milkweed, send a photo to a professional who knows the difference. Remember, if you try to feed dogbane to Monarch larvae, you will starve them to death!

Butterflies and Prayers

Butterflies and Prayers offers one dozen free butterflies for specific approved funerals and memorials.

Families of members of the police force, fire fighters, armed forces, and other such heroes are eligible to apply for one dozen free butterflies for their funeral or memorial. Funerals and memorials for those who lose their lives due to the violent act of another are eligible as well as memorials for babies lost to miscarriage.

Butterflies symbolize the soul, hope, and resurrection. Releasing butterflies at a memorial or funeral brings comfort to grieving hearts.

Some of the letters that have been written by recipients of free butterflies for their memorial release are on the website.

Although shipping must be paid by donations or by the family or the butterflies picked up by an AFB member's farm. Tax-deduct able donations will be applied to the expense of shipping butterflies for these families butterfly releases. Please consider offering a donation to cover this expense for those who have lost loved ones.

Members of the Association for Butterflies donate butterflies for recipients of a free butterfly funeral or memorial release through Butterflies and Prayers.

Celebrate National Butterfly Awareness Day!

The first National Butterfly Awareness Day will be held on June 6, 2009. Various activities are planned, including live butterfly releases throughout the country, educational events with butterflies in schools, and the planting of butterfly gardens. The Association For Butterflies, the organization that founded this day, will help raise awareness of butterflies throughout the United States. Butterflies are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they are important pollinators. Releasing butterflies is an environmentally-sound activity. Go green! Plant a butterfly garden to attract native species. Contact a butterfly farmer to order butterflies to release on June 6th! See www.forbutterflies.org for more information.